Mannikin with adjustable head



June 2, 1964 s. SCHOENFELD MANNIKIN WITH ADJUSTABLE HEAD Filed Nov. 13, 1962 I N V EN TOR. Jim JCf/OENFELD BY g g a Arromvzy v United States Patent 3,135,444 MANNIKEN WiTH ADJUSTABLE HEAD Earn Sehoenfeld, Los Angeies, Califl, assignor to Weifeld Mannilrin Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a copartnership Filed Nov. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 236,849 2 Qlairns. (Cl. 223-66) This invention relates to clothing display mannikins and has as its object to provide an adjustable-head mannikin of simplified construction, reduced cost and improved usefulness.

Specifically, the invention provides a mannikin having a head section including a neck stem which is socketed for universally tilting adjustment in a neck opening at the top of a torso section, utilizing gravity as the principal force for holding the head in selected positions of tilting adjustment.

More specifically, the invention provides such a mannikin wherein the head section can readily be detached from the torso section simply by lifting its neck stem out of the neck socket of the torso and wherein the head section (or any selected replacement therefor) can as readily be inserted into the neck socket, the neck stem and socket being free of any tying connection to one another.

A further object is to provide such a mannikin wherein a tiltable head section can be readily removed and replaced by a selected different head section.

A further object is to provide such a mannikin wherein the various selected positions of tilted adjustment of the head section will be preserved by the gravity seating of the neck stern in the neck socket, assisted by frictional engagement between the outer surface of the neck stern and the internal surface of the neck socket.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specification and appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the mannikin embodying my invention, with the upper part of the torso section and the lower part of the neck stem shown in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the same with the lower portion of the neck stem and the upper portion of the torso section shown in cross section; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a mannikin comprising, in general, a head section A and a torso section B. Only the upper extremity (shoulder portion) of the torso section B is shown, and it is to be understood that the remainder of the torso section, together with suitable arm and leg sections, are to be incorporated in the mannikin and may be of conventional construction.

In accordance with standard practice, the head section A and torso section B are of hollow shell form, and may be of papier mach or of molded plastic material, as desired, the invention requiring only that the wall structures or" these parts be sufficiently rigid or stiff to be formretaining, yet possessed of a moderate amount of toughness and flexibility as hereinafter specified more in detail.

The head section A includes a hollow ovoid head portion and a neck stem 11. The head portion 10 may be of any selected configuration to represent any natural or stylized set of features. The stem 11 is relatively long, so that approximately half its length will be concealed within the torso section B when seated therein as disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2, the visible portion, from the top of torso section B up to the chin of head portion 10 being approximately equivalent to the length of an average human neck. From the chin down to a level near, but substantially above the cross-sectional plane of contact with the neck-opening of torso section B when in the upright position shown in full lines, stem 11 is preferably of substantially uniform diameter (e.g. cylindrical) larger than the diameter at said cross-sectional plane of contact. For the balance of its length, extending downwardly to its lower end, stem 11 is of generally frusto-conical form, modified from true conical form in being conoidal, with its outer surface having a convex curvature longitudinally (e.g. convex in longitudinal section along a diametral plane of its major axis as seen in the section of lower portions of the neck stem in FIGS. 1 and 2). All cross-sections of stem 11 in planes normal to its major axis are circular. The lower end of stem 11 may be open, as shown, to facilitate the fabrication of the head section A, this lower end portion being in any event concealed when the head section is in place on the torso section B.

Torso section B comprises, in addition to the conventional chest and abdomen portions, not disclosed in the drawing, a shoulder section 15 having a central portion 16 tapering upwardly to a centrally disposed upper end portion in the form of a circular rim 17 defining a neck opening 19 and providing a seat for supporting the head section A. Neck stem 11 will engage against rim 17 when the head section A is inserted into the opening 19. Downwardly of the rim 17, the outer wall of neck stem 11 diverges inwardly from the inner wall of shoulder portion 15, providing a clearance space accommodating the lateral tilting of the head section A within a wide range of tilting movement between the centered position shown in full lines and the tilted positions shown in broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. It may now be noted that in any of a series of tilted positions around the major axis of neck opening 19 (a conical array of selective positions around said axis, in which the head is tilted forwardly or rearwardly, leftwardly or rightwardly or to any intermediate position) the neck stem 11 at one side (or front or rear, as the case may be) will be supported against the rim 17 at diametrically opposite points of contact in the vertical plane of the tilted major axis of neck stem 11. At these points of contact, the neck stem 11 will be braced against the rim 17 to support the head section A against displacement beyond the selected position of tilt. This result follows from the fact that in order to increase the angle of tilt, it is necessary for the neck stem 11 to assume a higher position in neck opening 19. This is due to the fact that the cross-sectional contour of stem 11, in the plane of contact against rim 17, varies from circulm in the upright position of head section A to oval in all tilted positions, and the oval becomes increasingly elongated with increasing tilt. To compensate for the increased diameter along the major axis of the oval, the elevated position of the head section A shifts the plane of contact with rim 17 to a position lower down on stem 17, where its diameter is smaller. Thus, the selected tilted position will be maintained by the weight of the head section A pressing downwardly through the neck stem 11 against the wall of opening 19.

As previously stated, the wall structure of torso B, although sufiiciently rigid or stiff to be form-retaining, is nevertheless moderately flexible, sufiiciently so that by the application of downward pressure against the head section A during its adjustment to a selected position of tilt, the rim 17 can be distorted slightly from its normal circular shape to slightly oval shape, and thus the stem 11 can be wedged into the opening 19, so as to provide a constricting frictional grip of the rim 17 against the stem 11, securing the head section A against the dislocating effect of jars, vibration, etc.

I claim:

1. in a mannikin, in combination: a torso section in the form of a hollow shell including a shoulder portion Patented June 2, 1964 having a circular neck seat defining a neck opening; and including a head portion and a generally frusto-conical neck stem of a diameter decreasing in a downward direction, said stem projecting downwardly through said opening and having a portion of intermediate diameter fitted to and supported on said seat at a substantial distance below said head, said stem having an external surface of ovoid form in axial section with an convex longitudinal curvature such as to provide for universal pivoting of said head section to selected tilted attitudes with said head and the exposed portion of said stem displaced horizontally with respect to said neck opening, said neck stem being supported on said seat by seating engagement therewith free of any tying connection to said torso shell, and being of such elongation in its frusto conical portion as to require increasing elevation of said head section for increasing tilt thereof, whereby to provide stability of support of said head section in a plurality of said tilted attitudes.

2. A mannikin as defined in claim 1, wherein said seat is in the form of a toroidal rim that is slightly flexible so as to provide for wedging frictional engagement of said frusto-conical portion of the neck stern therein, for retention of said head section in selected attitudes horizontally displaced from said neck opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,284,967 Ray et al June 2, 1942 2,644,620 Palmer July 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 454,561 Great Britain Sept. 29, 1936 

1. IN A MANNIKIN, IN COMBINATION: A TORSO SECTION IN THE FORM OF A HOLLOW SHELL INCLUDING A SHOULDER PORTION HAVING A CIRCULAR NECK SEAT DEFINING A NECK OPENING; AND INCLUDING A HEAD PORTION AND A GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL NECK STEM OF A DIAMETER DECREASING IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION, SAID STEM PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING AND HAVING A PORTION OF INTERMEDIATE DIAMETER FITTED TO AND SUPPORTED ON SAID SEAT AT A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW SAID HEAD, SAID STEM HAVING AN EXTERNAL SURFACE OF OVOID FORM IN AXIAL SECTION WITH AN CONVEX LONGITUDINAL CURVATURE SUCH AS TO PROVIDE FOR UNIVERSAL PIVOTING OF SAID HEAD SECTION TO SELECTED TILTED ATTITUDES WITH SAID HEAD AND THE EXPOSED PORTION OF SAID STEM DISPLACED HORIZONTALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID NECK OPENING, SAID NECK STEM BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID SEAT BY SEATING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH FREE OF ANY TYING CONNECTION TO SAID TORSO SHELL, AND BEING OF SUCH ELONGATION IN ITS FRUSTO CONICAL PORTION AS TO REQUIRE INCREASING ELEVATION OF SAID HEAD SECTION FOR INCREASING TILT THEREOF, WHEREBY TO PROVIDE STABILITY OF SUPPORT OF SAID HEAD SECTION IN A PLURALITY OF SAID TILTED ATTITUDES. 